The Hindu : Tough fight ahead for National Conference in Kargil

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002

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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Tough fight ahead for National Conference in Kargil

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR SEPT. 9. Badly hit by the troubled situation in Kashmir for the last 13 years and also by the war in 1999, the people of Kargil have decided to fight "discrimination and neglect" by having their "independent" voice in the Assembly.

Accusing the National Conference (NC) regime of adopting a policy of appeasement towards the Buddhist-dominated Leh, they say nobody is ready to listen to their woes.

Two influential institutions — Imam Khameini Memorial Trust (IKMT) and Islamia School — have been playing a significant role in Kargil's politics since 1996. It was their support to the NC in 1996 which returned its Minister of State for Works, Qamar Ali Akhoon, to the Assembly and ensured the election of Aga Syed Hussain and Hassan Khan to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

However, both institutions have revolted against the NC after the party refused to concede the demand of nominating a candidate of their choice. The party gave the ticket to Mr. Akhoon again and this resulted in the two groups supporting Haji Nissar Ali, an Independent candidate.

The battle lines have been drawn, and a tough fight stares the NC in the face; its chances of success now seem remote.

Mr. Akhoon has helped the people throughout the traumatic war period and has no allegations of corruption against him. This prompted the NC president, Omar Abdullah, to re-nominate him.

But the IKMT and the Islamia School are of the view that Mr. Akhoon had proved ineffective in pleading their case. They accuse the Farooq Abdullah Government of appeasing Leh district and conceding their "each and every demand".

"Kargil is strategically important to India and wars are fought here but they do not care for the people," a student leader, Sajjad Hussain, said. "See the neglect we are living through. Nobody bothers and there are only promises."

The Kargil airport, though complete, has not been made operational.

There is the potential for developing at least three hydro electricity projects but the funds have been diverted to Baghliar and Salal.

"Our MLA was the Works Minister but see the condition of the roads. He cannot push forward our case," a shopkeeper, Hussain Ali, said.

Senior functionaries of the IKMT, Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Qasim, are bitter with New Delhi as "they treat us differently".

They wondered if Leh deserved funds under the Border Area Development programme or did Kargil, which suffered colossal damage. "They sanctioned Rs. 47 crores for Leh and peanuts for us."

Even the continuous shelling has not dampened the spirit of the people; the campaigning continues and people actively take part in small meetings.

Mr. Akhoon is trying hard to cash in on the work he did in the past six years, and Mr. Abdullah visited to the constituency to campaign but a NC victory is still a long way off.

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Tough fight ahead for National Conference in Kargil